James alford house



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J-. A. HOUSE.- BOTTLE WASHER.

No. 445,408. Patented Jan. 27, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ALFORD HOUSE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO 1 ED. A. NICHOLS, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLE-WASH ER.

SJPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,408, dated January 27, 1891.

Application filed August 11, 1890. Serial No. 361,'714- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES ALFORD HoUsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fail-field and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle- \Vashers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bottle-washers, and has for its object to provide a device of this description which shall be simple in construction, in which the adjustment of the bottle to be washed shall automatically control the operation of the machine, and in which the entire surface of the interior of the bottle shall be thoroughly cleansed; and with these ends in View my invention consists in the construction and combination of elements, hereinafter described, and then recited in the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may fully understand its construction and operation, I will now describe the samein detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, showing the bottle in position. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section; and Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal section at the line y '11 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like numerals denote the same parts in all the figures.

1 represents a base casting provided with means, as screw-threads 2, whereby it may be supported upon a supply-pipe. Said casting has a flange 3, through which are bored tangential openings 4.

5 are Ways formed within the casting and leading upward to the outside of the flange 3. At its center, as seen at Fig. 2, said casting has an axially-bored hub 6, whose upper end forms a bearing for the lower end of a hollow spindle 7, upon which is borne a wheel 8, having radial buckets 9.

10 is a hollow cap whose enlarged lower end is screw-threaded upon a casting 1 at the greatest diameterof the latter, and whose up per end forms a bearing for the spindle 7.

11 is a hollow rod, which is socketed, as shown at Fig. 2, and is adapted to fits upon the spindle 7, so as to revolve therewith. its length this hollow rod has short lengths of chain 12, both of whose ends are secured to said rod, thereby forming loops, as shown. At the upper end this hollow tube is provided with two small oblique perforations 13, immediately over which are hung two short chains 14, preferably provided with small weights. The upper end of the part 10 carries slightlybowed springfingers 15. Around said part is also arranged acollarlli, adapted by means of the thumb-screw 17 to be raised and lowered, and provided with the upwardly-extended spring-arms 18 which are preferably made by doubling pieces of wire to the form shown, so as to providesaid arms with the broadened contact-loops 19 at the top.

In the casting 1, just below the conduits 5, is a valve-seat 20, against which a cone-faced valve 21 is adapted to seat. Attached to this valve and extending upward, so that its end projects through the top of the hollow rod or tube 11, is a valve-stem 22, which is adapted when pushed downward to unseatthe valve against the pressure of the water in the supp y-p p 23 are drainage-openings, from the recess in which the wheel is hung. Theypermit the used water to pass outward through the bot tom of the casting 1.

In the operation of my invention the bottle to be washed is first inverted over the tube and its contained valve-stem 22 and is pushed downward within the grasp of the arms 18 to substantially the position shown in dotted lines, its neck being engaged from within by the fingers 15. For different-sized bottles it will be readily understood that the part 16 may be readily raised and lowered. When the bottle has been pushed downward, so that the projecting valve-stem 22 is engaged by the bottom of the bottle and de pressed, the valve will be unseated and the Water commences to flow freely upward with in the machine. Through the conduits 5 the Along greater portion of this water is led into the annular space between the flange 3 and the cap 10, whence, through the openings l, said water is directed with great force against the buckets on the wheel 8, after which it escapes through the openings 23, formed for that purpose. The rapid rotation of the wheel imparts a similar rotation to the tube 11 and the chains carried thereby. The loops of chain stand out by centrifugal force and their middle portions sweep against the inner sur face of the bottle. These chains are looped, as shown, so that when in motion each loop may have abrasive action against a considerable surface of the glass-that is to say, if the radius of the bottle be one inch and the length of chain three inches, the portion of the loop which engages the glass and rubs against the same will be about an inch in length. At the upper end of the tul)e,whioh latter is open to the water whenever the valve is unseated, are the openings 13, heretofore referred to. Through these there passes sufficient water to assist the cleaning operation as performed bythe chains. These openings are inclined obliquely upward for the pur pose of lifting the chains 1%, so that they may enter the annular base which is common to certain kinds of bottles and which is shown in Fig. 1. Said chains would stand outward in a substantially horizontal plane by the rotation of the part to which they are attached, but action of the streams will raise them so as to sweep the bottom of the bottle.

In Fig. 1 the upper end of the tube 11 is shown as provided with a brush instead of a chain, said brush being lettered 22. \Vhen the washing operation is completed, the with drawal of the bottle permits the pressure from the service-pipe to reseat the valve 21, thereby excluding water from the interior of the machine until the valve-stem is again depressed, as by another bottle.

In this invention I do not wish to be confined to the exact construction herein shown and described, since this may be varied in 2. In a bottle-washer, the combination, with the rotative spindle carrying suitable cleaning devices, and means for operating said spindle of the vertically-sliding base 16, the thumb-screw 17 for securing it, and the lat erally-movable vertically-extending spring arms 18, adapted to inclose and hold the bottle, substantially as described.

3. In a bottle-washer, the combination, with the hollow spindle, of a wheel secured upon and adapted to drive said spindle, avalve located below the wheel and normally closing the service-pipe, and a valve-stem projecting upward through the wheel axis and spindle, and adapted to be operated by the pressure of the bottle to be washed.

4. In a bottle-washer, the base provided with a central conduit and with branch con-' duits 5, a rotative spindle adapted to receive water from the central conduit and deliver the same into the bottle, a wheel arranged upon said spindle and driven by water from the conduits 5, a valve between the openings of each of said conduits and the servicepipe, and a valve-spindle projecting upward through the wheel-axis and adapted to be operated by the bottle, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ALFORD HOUSE. Witnesses:

A. J. TANNER, CHARLES E. KEITH. 

